SECTION L. Sackville's Legend of Buckingham in the Mirrour for Magistrates. Additions by Higgins. Account of him. View of the early editions of this Collection. Specimen of Higgins's Legend of Cordelia, which is copied by Spenser. I Now return to the MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES, and to Sackville's Legend of Buckingham, which follows his INDUCTION. The Complaynt of HENRYE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, is written with a force and even elegance of expression, a copiousness of phraseology, and an exactness of versification, not to be found in any other parts of the collection. On the whole, it may be thought tedious and languid. But that objection unavoidably results from the general plan of these pieces. It is impossible that soliloquies of such prolixity, and designed to include much historical and even biographical matter, should every where sustain a proper degree of spirit, pathos, and interest. In the exordium are these nervous and correct couplets. Again, Whom flattering Fortune falsely so beguilde, That loe, she slew, where earst ful smooth she smilde. And paynt it forth, that all estates maye knowe: Have they the warning, and be mine the woe. Buckingham is made to enter thus rapidly, yet with much address, into his fatal share of the civil broils between York and Lancaster. But what may boot to stay the Sisters three, When Atropos perforce will cut the thred? The dolefull day was come*, when you might see In these lines there is great energy. O would to God the cruell dismall day The unhappie hower, the time, and eke the day, &c. And the following are an example of the simple and sublime united. And thou, Alecto, feede me with thy foode! [Shakspeare seems to have burlesqued these lines in one of Pistol's rants. Let grisly, gaping, ghastly wounds, unbind the sisters three, Come, Atropos, I say.-PARK.] .... Abridge my doleful days! To feed my plaint with horroure and with feare! Many comparisons are introduced by the distressed speaker. But it is common for the best poets to forget that they are describing what is only related or spoken. The captive Proteus has his simile of the nightingale; and Eneas decorates his narrative of the disastrous conflagration of Troy with a variety of the most laboured comparisons. Buckingham in his reproaches against the traitorous behaviour of his ancient friend Banastre, utters this forcible exclamation, which breathes the genuine spirit of revenge, and is unloaded with poetical superfluities. Hated be thou, disdainde of everie wight, And in this sort, with shame and sharpe reproch, The ingenious writers of these times are perpetually deserting propriety for the sake of learned allusions. Buckingham exhorts the peers and princes to remember the fate of some of the most renowned heroes of antiquity, whose lives and misfortunes he relates at large, and often in the most glowing colours of poetry. Alexander's murther of Clitus is thus described in stanzas, pronounced by the poet and not by Buckingham. And deeply grave within your stonie harts The launced speare he writhes out of the wound, He calls for death, and loathing longer life, And plungde in depth of death and dolours strife Yet chose he death, to guerdon death withall. This prince, whose peere was never under sunne, His bloudy handes himselfe could not abide, But folly bent with famine to have dide; The worthie prince deemed in his regard That death for death could be but just reward. Our MIRROUR, having had three new editions in 1563, 1571, and 1574, was reprinted in quarto in the year 1587d, with the addition of many new lives, under the conduct of John Higgins. Higgins lived at Winsham in Somersetshire. He was educated at Oxford, was a clergyman, and engaged in the instruction of youth. As a preceptor of boys, on the plan of a former collection by Nicholas Udal, a celebrated master of Eton school, he compiled the FLOSCULI OF TERENCE, a manual famous in its time, and applauded in a Latin epigram by the elegant Latin encomiast Thomas Newton of Cheshire. In the pedagogic character he also published "HOLCOT'S DICTIONARIE, newlie corrected, amended, set in order, and enlarged, with many names of men, townes, beastes, fowles, etc. By which you may finde killed: manqueller is murderer. This edition, printed by Thomas Marshale, has 160 leaves, with a table of contents at the end. This edition, printed also for T. Marshe, is improperly enough entitled "The Last Parte of the Mirrour for Magistrates," &c. But it contains all that is in the foregoing editions, and ends with Jane Shore, or Shore's Wife. It has 163 leaves. In the title page the work is said to be "Newly corrected and amended." They are all in quarto, and in black letter. [The propriety of this title is now substantiated, by the discovery of an edition of Higgins's work, unknown to Warton. It was printed by Marsh in 1574, and entitled "The First Parte of the Mirrour for Magistrates," &c. This will explain the language of Higgins quoted in the ensuing note.-PRICE.] d But in the Preface Higgins says he began to prepare it twelve years before. In imitation of the title, a story-book was published called The Mirror of Mirth, by R. D. 1583. bl. lett. 4to. Also The Mirrour of the Mathematikes, A Mirrour of Monsters, &c. [The Mirror of Mutabilitie, or principall part of the Mirror for Magistrates by Ant. Munday, was printed in 1579; and a Mirror of Magnanimitie, by Crompton, appeared in 1599. Ritson added the following throng of kindred titles: The Mirroure of Golde, printed by Pinson The Myrror of the Latin Tonge, &c. The Theatre, or Mirror of the World, 1569. * Dedication, ut infr. f In TERENTII FLOSCULOS N. Udalli et J. Higgini opera decerptos. Encom. fol. 128. It was also prefixed to the book, with others. the Latine or Frenche of anie Englishe worde you will. By John Higgins, late student in Oxefordes." In an engraved title-page are a few English verses. It is in folio, and printed for Thomas Marshe at London, 1572. The dedication to sir George Peckham, knight, is written by Higgins, and is a good specimen of his classical accomplishments. He calls Peckham his principal friend, and the most eminent patron of letters. A recommendatory copy of verses by Churchyard the poet is prefixed, with four Latin epigrams by others. Another of his works in the same profession is the NOMENCLATOR of Adrian Junius, translated into English, in conjunction with Abraham Flemming, and printed at London, for Newberie and Durham, in 1585 h. It is dedicated in Latin to his most bountiful patron Doctor Valentine, master of Requests, and dean of Wells, from Winsham', 1584. From this dedication, Higgins seems to have been connected with the school of Ilminster, a neighbouring town in Somersetshire. He appears to have been living so late as the year 1602; for in that year he published an Answer to William Perkins, a forgotten controversialist, concerning Christ's descent into hell, dedicated from Winsham. To the MIRROUR for MagistraTES Higgins wrote a new INDUCTION in the octave stanza; and without assistance of friends, began a new series from Albanact the youngest son of Brutus, and the first king of Albanie or Scotland, continued to the emperor Caracalla1. In this edition by Higgins, among the pieces after the Conquest, first appeared the Life of CARDINAL WOLSEY, by Churchyardm; of SIR NICHOLAS BURDET, by Baldwine [Higgins]"; and of ELEANOR COBHAMo, and of HUMFREY Duke of GlouceSTERP, by Ferrers. Also the Legend of KING JAMES the Fourth of SCOTLAND, said to have been penned some other writer, since Churchyard complains of being "denied the fathering of a work that had won so much credit." He at the same time protests before God and the world, that Shore's wife was his penning, and he would be glad to vindicate his open wrong with the best blood in his body, did not his old years utterly forbid such combat.-This anecdote occurs before a reprint of Shore's Wife, augmented by 21 stanzas, in Churchyard's Challenge, 1593. Nash, probably in reference to the above, thus complimented the old courtpoet in the same year:-"Shore's Wife is young, though you be stept in years; in her shall you live, when you are dead." Foure Letters Confuted, &c. Antony Chute published, in 1593, "Beautie Dis. honoured, written under the title of Shore's Wife," in six-line stanzas. Vid. infra, p. 233, note J.-PARK.] fiftie yeares ago1, and of FLODDEN FIELD, said to be of equal antiquity, and subscribed FRANCIS DINGLEY, the name of a poet who has not otherwise occurred. Prefixed is a recommendatory poem in stanzas by the above-mentioned Thomas Newton of Cheshire', who understood much more of Latin than of English poetry *. The most poetical passage of Higgins's performance in this collection is in his Legend of QUEENE CORDILA, or Cordelia, king Lear's youngest daughter". Being imprisoned in a dungeon, and coucht on strawe, she sees amid the darkness of the night a griesly ghost approach, Eke nearer still with stealing steps shee drewe: Shee was of colour pale and deadly hewe. Her garment was figured with various sorts of imprisonment, and pictures of violent and premature death. Her clothes resembled thousand kindes of thrall, Cordelia, in extreme terror, asks, What wight art thou, a foe or fawning frend? * # Now if thou art to dye no whit afrayde Here shalt thou choose of instruments, beholde, DESPAIR then, throwing her robe aside, shows Cordelia a thousand instruments of death, knives, sharp swordes, and ponyards, all bedyde with bloode and poysons. She presents the sword with which queen Dido slew herself. "Lo! here the blade that Dido of Carthage hight," &c. Cordelia takes this sword, but doubtfull yet to dye. DESPAIR then represents to her the state and power which she enjoyed in France, her troops of attendants, and the pleasures of the court she had left. She then points out her present melancholy condition and dreary situation. She shewde me all the dongeon where I sate, The dankish walles, the darkes, and bade me smell Fol. 255 b. [This appears from his tribute to Heywood the epigrammatist, cited at p. 94 of this volume. He has a copy of Latin verses prefixed to R. Rabbard's translation of Ripley's Compound of Alchymy, 1591.-PARK.] "Fol. 36 b. |